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Belonging, Part Two

The local church is God’s special provision not only for discipline, but also for exercising spiritual gifts and praising God. In this message, Alistair Begg provides guidelines to help individuals determine their God-given roles in the church and to fulfill those roles to God’s glory so that the body of Christ may be built up. We also learn the characteristics of a biblically sound church, enabling us to be wise in choosing a congregation in which to worship, learn, and serve.

A Living Sacrifice

1I appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.22Do not be conformed to this world,3 but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.4

Gifts of Grace

3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.4For as in one body we have many members,5 and the members do not all have the same function,5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,6 with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,7 serve the Lord.12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Series: Christian Basics

Other messages in: Christian Basics

What does it really mean to be a Christian? In this study, Alistair Begg identifies the essential elements of the believer’s life, starting with conversion and then elaborating on how believers are to act out their faith. “To be a Christian,” he says, “is to declare that Jesus is Lord. His Lordship affects both our minds, teaching us what to believe, and our morals, changing the way we live.” While each follower of Christ is uniquely called, all Christians share the same fixed features of genuine faith.

The basic nature of the truths unpacked in this series should not be mistaken for elementariness. These realities aren’t relevant to recent converts alone, but form the core of each stage of the believer’s life and apply equally to all Christians. Young believers and weathered saints alike will find Alistair’s examination of the “main things” of the faith a useful and challenging way of assessing their experience.

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Truth For Life is the teaching ministry of Alistair Begg and is committed to teaching the Bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted, believers will be established, and local churches will be strengthened.